1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cursor control devices and, particularly, to control devices for single digit control of a wireless terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless terminals including cellular telephones and other wireless telecommunication devices are providing increasingly sophisticated functionality. Functions performed by hand-held wireless terminals require an increasing degree of user input and interaction. For example, a typical wireless terminal includes a viewscreen, typically a liquid crystal display (LCD), a keypad, and a plurality of control buttons or switches to allow the user to scroll through menu options or manipulate a cursor on the viewscreen. One such control is a dial, such as on the Sony CM RX100 telephone, which may be used to xe2x80x9crollxe2x80x9d through menu options. Alternatively, forward and reverse buttons such as on the Motorola Star TAC telephone, may be employed to accomplish this task. The Siemens S4, the Qualcomm QCP 800 and QCP 1900 each provide a volume button on the side of the terminal which may also be used to scroll through menus on the viewscreen. Finally, certain wireless terminals provide a trackball on the front face of the wireless terminal to position a cursor on the viewscreen. Each of these controls is also associated with a separate select button to allow selection of the menu item highlighted by the cursor.
Such menu selection or cursor pointing devices require cumbersome hand or finger movements. More particularly, such user interfaces have typically required the manipulation of a trackball, keys, or dial in order to locate a cursor or scroll through menus on the viewscreen. A separate motion on a separate select key is required to select the item highlighted by the cursor. Frequently this is error-prone and counter-intuitive. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved user interface for a wireless terminal which is capable of being manipulated by a single finger in both cursor positioning and select modes.
In addition, wireless terminals are subjected to relatively severe operating conditions. Control buttons such as an on-switch may be jostled and thus unintentionally activated thereby draining batteries. Cursor controls may be exposed to liquids, which can have a deleterious effect on their functionality. This is particularly the case when the control is a trackball, due to the electromechanical or optomechanical structure required to convert the ball""s rotation into cursor movement. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved cursor control which is relatively immune from unintentional activation and/or liquid spillage.
These drawbacks in the prior art are overcome in large part by a side-mounted cursor controller including a sliding cover according to the present invention. A wireless terminal is provided including a key pad and a side mounted cursor pointing device, such as a trackball. A sliding cover is provided which can slide over the cursor pointing device in an xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d position. When the cover is slid off the cursor pointing device, a biasing member upon which the cursor pointing device rests allows the trackball to pop out and into position. The user can press down on the cursor pointing device in order to make a selection. In addition, the sliding cover may be an on-off switch for the wireless terminal.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, an electronic controller with an improved user interface is provided. The user interface includes a cursor pointing device and a controller housing adapted to receive the cursor pointing device. A select control such as a switch, is coupled to the cursor pointing device and the controller housing, and is configured to be activated when the cursor pointing device is depressed. A sliding member is coupled to the controller housing. The sliding member is configured to conceal the cursor pointing device when the sliding member is in a first position, and expose the cursor pointing device when the sliding member is in a second position. The sliding member also may function as an on-off switch for the electronic controller or the device being controlled. The cursor pointing device may be provided with a biasing member such that the biasing member positions the cursor pointing device in an inactive position when the sliding member is in the first position and is configured to position the cursor pointing device in an active position when the sliding member is in the second position.
A method for operating an electronic controller according to the present invention includes sliding a sliding member from a first position to a second position on a controller housing. The sliding member conceals a cursor pointing device when the sliding member is in the first position, and exposes the cursor pointing device when the sliding member is in the second position. The method further includes translating the cursor pointing device from an inactive position when the sliding member is in the first position to an active position when the sliding member is in the second position. Finally, the method further includes using the cursor pointing device to position a cursor on a viewscreen, for example, scrolling through menu options and depressing the cursor pointing device to select an item on the viewscreen positioned proximately to the cursor.